Cigar-bunching machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J. RYAN.

GIGAR BUNGHING MACHINE. No. 600,379. Patented Mar. 8, 18.98.

NiTn STATES PATENT Trice.

JOHN JAMES RYAN, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

ClGAR-BUNCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,379, dated March 8,1898.

Application filed October 1, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN JAMES RYAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Jos, county of Santa Clara, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Cigar- Bunching Machines; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in cigar-bunching machines; and itconsists, essentially, in improvement in the construction and assemblageof the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 isan end View of thesame. Fig. 3 is a plan view.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective, andrapid-working device with which to roll scraps, short or long fillers oftobacco, into the binder and to deliver the scraps or leaves whichconstitute the filler perfectly straight and parallel with each other,preventing the same from twisting or forming knots or lumps, and so thatthe cigar made therefrom will burn perfectly even for its entire length,the bunch being maintained in a perfectly porous condition from end toend, so that the draft is easy and unobstructed.

In the construction of bunching-machines of this class but littleattention has been paid to accuracy of adjustment, and experience hasshown that without the utmost accuracy the operation of bunching thetobacco will produce more or less faulty cigars.

The principal difficulties arise from the fact that the top of the tableis not in an absolute curve radially from the axis about which themovable roller travels or is higher on one side than the other, and alsobecause it is very difficult to so regulate the apron which is employedfor forming a bunch as to hold it absolutely in the line of travel ofthe bunch. The least variation in the position of this band will causethe bunch to be advanced in such a way as to twist the material whichforms the filler and often to form knots or lumps within it. The latterprevent a free draft of air through the cigar and the former Serial No-653,67Z. (N0 model.)

causes it to burn faster upon one side than the other, and consequentlyproduces a very disagreeable result when the cigar is smoked. Toovercome these difficulties is the object of my invention.

The table A is formed of cast-iron or other metal and has arms orsupports a, which may be cast with or bolted to the table. These arms orsupports converge from the ends of the table downwardly, and at or nearthe apex or point of meeting'a shaft B is fitted to pass transverselythrough these arms from side to side. Upon this shaft is fitted a sleeve0, and to this sleeve the arms D are fixed, ex tending upwardly to apoint beneath the table, thence bent outwardly, so as to pass up on eachside of the table and form a support or carriage D for the adjustablebunchforming roller E, which will be hereinafter described.

In the manufacture of these machines it has been common to simply pivotthe lower ends of the arms D upon the fixed shaft, so that in swingingthe carriage about the shaft as a center the wear would be brought uponthe comparatively narrow journals formed by the thickness of the ends ofthe arms. There is a great deal of loose dirt and sand mixed with thetobacco,and this falling down into these journals will soon wear them,so that one side would become slightly more dopressed or higher than theother, and this would throw the upper portion of the carriage and theroller which is journaled upon itsufficiently out of line to twist thebunch when formed.

In my invention the lower ends of the arms of the carriage are fixedupon a sleeve which extends the full length between the arms a of thetable and fits sufficiently close to form a practically tight joint toprevent the en.- trance of any sand or dust into the journalbox thusformed. This box being of such considerable length forms a long bearingwhich is subject to very little wear, and whatever there is is even fromone end to the other, so that the upper part of the carriage is neverthrown out of line.

The top of the table A is planed by means of a tool which is operatedfrom the center represented by the shaft B, so that when finished thetop of the table is an accurate curve radially from the center aboutwhich the carriage D is movable and absolutely even and true from oneside to the other.

The carriage D is provided with a handle d or other means by which it iscaused to swing in the arc of a circle above the table A,

and by means of a roller E, which is jour naled in the carriage andextends across above the table A, the bight in the flexible apron G isactuated so as to roll the tobacco filling material and deliver it inproper shape for the binder at the end of the table when the rolling hasbeen completed. This apron is made of rubber-coated cloth or othersuitable flexible material, and its ends are fixed so that there will besufficient slack in the part intermediate between the ends to receivethe tobacco which is to form the filler, and it is then rolled in abight within this portion of the apron which lies between the roller Eand the table A, so as to form a bunch, so called, ready to receive thewrapper. It is very difficult to place this apron so that it liesaccurately in the line of travel of the bunch-forming roller and thecarriage, and one portion of my invention relates to the proper fixingand adjusting of this apron.

H is a flattened tube which is fixed vertically at the end of themachine and is of sufficient length transversely to receive the width ofthe apron and accurately guide its edges Within the tube H. The width ofthe slot is also just sufficient to allow the apron to be moved withinthe tube.

The tube'H has slots or openings formed in its side, as shown at I, anda shaft J is journaled transversely exterior to the tube and in linewith the slots I. This shaft carries rollers K, which projectsufficiently into the slots I to press upon the apron G, and when theshaft is turned by means of the milled head J, fixed upon its end, or byother suitable means, the apron is moved, so as to be lengthened orshortened evenly, and the part i of the apron intermediate between thispoint and the opposite end of the table can be lengthened or shortenedand thus adjusted to the size of the bunch which the machine is to make.By reason of the tube and the ends thereof acting as a guide for theapron as it is moved up or down the latter is prevented from twisting orgetting into a position in which one side is longer than the other, orso that it gets out of line with the line of travel of the material tobe bunched. When the adjustment has been completed, the apron isabsolutely fixed in place by means of a bar L, having projecting pointsor teeth L, which pass through the apron when the bar L is closed downupon the top of the wall M, which forms the end of the machine and thesup port for the tubular guide H. The bar L is hinged, as shown at L atone end of the wall M, so as to be turned about this hinge. The

opposite end has a latchwhich is adapted to engage with the catch N,fixed to the end of the wall M which is opposite to the hinge.

Small holes are made in the top of the part M to receive the points L,and when the bar L has been closed down and latched it forms asufficient clamp tohold the apron firmly in place at this point.

Any variation or adjustment of the length of the apron is effected bysimply disengaging and raising the bar L and moving the band by means ofthe shaft J and rollers previously described, after which the apron canbe again clamped and secured in place.

At the opposite end of the table the apron passes into a smallerguiding-tube H, and as these tubes H and H are absolutely in line witheach other the apron being guided by them cannot get out of the line ofmovement. A hinged clamping-bar L with points similar to those describedfor the bar L, and a catch N serve to hold this end of the band or apronin position.

It is important that the roller E, which passes through or forms theloose fold or bight of the apron G and which acts to roll the bunch whenthe carriage is moved from one end to the other of the table A, shouldbe maintained absolutely parallel with the table and that thisadjustment should be exceedinglyaccurate. This roller has its endscounterbored, preferably, with conical depressions into which fit thecorrespondingly coneshaped ends of pivots 0, upon which the roller isthus turnable, and these pivots can be advanced to take up any wear fromtime to time. These pivots 0 have screw-threaded shanks which passthrough correspondingly-threaded nuts P, and these nuts are slidable inslots Q, formed in the arms of the carriage D.

I These nuts P have extensions P upon the inner faces of the arms D,which extend across the arms and at the ends are bent so as to clasp thesides of the arms, as shown, so that the nuts may be accurately moved inthe slots Q and the roller maintained in its proper line when adjusted.

The screw-shanks of the cone-pivots have milled heads upon the outerends by which they may be screwed in or out through the nuts to adjustthe roller-bearings, and locknuts P are turnable upon the screw-threads,so as to be set up against the washers P, which fit the screw-shankslooselyand which are clamped against the outer faces of the arms D whenthe locking-nuts are set up against them. These and the transverseplates P, which carry the nuts, form a sufficiently frictional lock tohold the roller firmly in place wherever it may be set.

In order to insure an absolute accuracy in adjusting the roller when itis moved to make larger or smaller bunches, I have shown gage marks R,formed across the edges of the carriage D, over which the ends of theplates P are fitted, and by means of these gage-marks IIO both ends ofthe roller can be accurately and absolutely adjusted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cigar-bunching machine, a convex table, a carriage movable oversaid table having radial arms turning about the center of convexity ofthe table and having a movable roller extending across the carriageabove the table, an apron adapted to receive the material to be bunched,and with which the roller engages to form the bunch when moved acrossthe table, and means for adjusting the apron consisting of flattenedtubes of a length equal to the width of the apron into which the apronis inserted, and by the sides of which it is guided, and means forclamping or locking the apron when thus adjusted.

2. In a cigar-bunching machine, the convex table, a carriage having armswith the same common center and adapted to move backward and forwardover the table, a roller journaled upon the carriage, a flexible apronfixed at the ends having an intermediate loose fold adapted to receivethe material to be bunched and be acted on by the roller when thecarriage is moved over the table so as to form a bunch, flattened tubeswithin which the ends of the apron areinserted and by which they areheld in line with the line of travel of the bunch-forming device, slotsformed in the side of the tube, a shaft journaled across in front of theslots having rollers fixed thereto and extending into the slots toengage the apron, a means for turning the shaft so that the apron maybelengthened or shortened between its points of attachment, and meansfor clamping or holding the apron after such adjustment.

3. In a cigar-bunching machine, a convexsurfaced table, a carriagehaving the same common center with the curved table and means whereby itmay be moved backward and forward over the table, an adjustable rollerjournaled upon the carriage, an apron fixed at the ends and forming afold inter mediate between the ends which is adapted to receive thematerial to be bunched, said fold being engaged by the roller when thelatter traverses the table, whereby the bunch is formed, verticalflattened tubes of a width sufficient to receive the ends of the apronwhereby the edges thereof are guided and the apron maintained in exactline across the table, rollers mounted upon a transverse shaft andengaging the surface of the apron through the openings in theguiding-tube whereby the apron may be lengthened or shortened, and ahinged clamping-bar having points and a latch whereby it is engaged andheld in place after the apron has been adjusted.

4;. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of a convex table, anapron, a hollow guide for one or bot-l1 ends of the apron whereby theapron may be adjusted, means for locking the apron when adjusted, acarriage movable over the table, having a roller engaging the bight ofthe apron,said carriage having parallel radial arms extending from thecarriage to the center of curvature of the table, a bearing-shaft forthe arms of the carriage and a closed tubular sleeve extending from oneof said arms to the other, fitting said shaft and forming a continuousclosed journal-box.

In witness whereof 'I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN JAMES RYAN. iVitnesses:

Mrs. B. TAYLOR, W. O. FANsELow.

